Golden State Valkyries center Kiah Stokes moves the ball against the Seattle Storm during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Friday, May 8, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
SAN FRANCISCO — Changing teams in the WNBA isn’t something Kiah Stokes knows much about, doing so only once in her first decade in the W, going from New York, which drafted her 11th overall in 2015, to Las Vegas midway through the 2021 season. However, when the Golden State Valkyries called this offseason, she knew heading west was the ideal move.
“Yeah, I just felt like I needed a new start. I don’t know how else to explain it,” said Stokes, 33. “I just had one call with Natalie (Nakase, head coach) and Nyanin (Ohemaa, the GM) and was like, yeah, let’s just do it. Yeah, I was nervous, but since I’ve been here, it’s been great. The team has been great. Obviously, we’re doing pretty well right now. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
Stokes, named Iowa Miss Basketball in 2011, the same year she was a McDonald’s All-American out of Linn-Mar High School in Marion, had played in Vegas for nearly five seasons and was part of the Aces’ championship teams in 2022, 2023, and 2025 under head coach Becky Hammon, considered one of the W’s top coaches.
Golden State Valkyries center Kiah Stokes shoots the ball against Seattle Storm guard Natisha Hiedeman during a WNBA basketball game in Seattle, Friday, May 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Golden State, however, was something of an unknown. The Valkyries had just completed their expansion season, finishing 23-21 and earning the final spot in the WNBA Playoffs, but Stokes saw more pros than cons of coming to a team where she would be one of the most experienced members of the roster, a situation which has not been the norm for her thus far in the W.
“That’s one thing Natalie (Nakase) had talked to me about at the beginning, (to) be more vocal, more of a leader, especially with my championship experience. So, I will say I’m trying to be more of a leader, a little more vocal,” Stokes said. “It’s not as natural as I would like it to be, but I am more (a leader who will) pull somebody to the side one-on-one versus very loud, rude leadership.”
This season, Golden State is 29-11 as of Sept. 10, giving the Valkyries the second-most wins in the W. And many consider the second-year team a contender to not only make some noise in the playoffs but to possibly vie for the WNBA title.
That’s precisely where Stokes’ 44 games of postseason experience gained with the Liberty and Aces is sure to pay big dividends.
“Absolutely, (I love this time of year). This is why we play pro sports,” she said. “It’s hard to get to this level if you’re not competitive and what says more competitive than trying to win at the end?”
“This is exciting. This break (for the FIBA World Cup) came at a good time so we can reset, refresh, get a little mental break. This is the best part of a season. Wanting to win is everything because the (victory) parade is a great feeling, and I don’t want another team to experience that.”
Golden State Valkyries center Kiah Stokes moves the ball against during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Friday, May 8, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Along with the Keaton and Kris Murray, who both play in the NBA, Stokes is one of several athletes from the Cedar Rapids area currently playing at the top level of their sport, a list including MLB pitchers Colin Rea, a Cascade native with the Cubs, and Keaton Winn, who hails from Ollie and pitches for the Giants.
“Yeah, it’s pretty cool. I don’t follow baseball too much, but regardless I think it’s awesome,” Stokes said. “Everybody laughs when I say I’m from Iowa, but we’ve produced a lot of great athletes, especially college athletes. Shout out to those guys, think it’s cool that we all have that (being from Cedar Rapids) in common.”
The daughter of former Iowa basketball standout Greg Stokes, Kiah has been part of countless winning teams on the hardwood, success she credits to having great coaches and equally great teammates. She helped lead Linn-Mar to a state title in 2010, was a key contributor on three NCAA championship teams at UConn under Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma, has won three WNBA titles with Vegas, and two EuroLeague titles in Turkey.
This marks her 11th season in the W after sitting out the 2019 campaign, and Stokes has seen consistent evolution as a player and a person during her first decade-plus as a pro.
“I would say I am a little more vocal and I understand the game a lot better. It’s easier to dissect film and scout, that’s one thing I’ve definitely learned,” she said. “You get older and wiser. It’s funny because I’m used to being the youngest around and now I’m the oldest around. I look around and wonder how did I get here? Time really does be moving.”
Auriemma is a coach known to be demanding of his players, an approach which helps explain the high number of ex-Huskies still playing in the W or abroad.
Former UConn player and WNBA play Kiah Stokes is introduced during a pregame ceremony honoring the UConn 2015 and 2016 championship basketball teams before an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
“The biggest lesson (from playing for Geno) is there’s always another level you can get to, where you think you’re so tired and you can’t do something,” Stokes said. “He would put you in impossible situations like we were playing five-on-eight against the guys. Then, you just figure out a way to get the next sprint, finish the drill. There’s always another level you can get to. That’s one of the biggest things I’ve learned from him.”
And even though her and Caitlin Clark, a Des Moines native, are on opposing squads in the W as Clark plays for Indiana, Stokes has enjoyed watching Clark’s rise, first with the Hawkeyes and more recently in the W, as a big reason why the league continues expanding with Portland and Toronto starting play this season and now has a new TV deal in place.
“It’s great. I had the opportunity to be a hometown kid and go to Iowa, and I chose a different route,” Stokes said. “So, to see someone of her caliber take that route and put Iowa woman’s basketball back on the map, I thought that was incredible and still is incredible.”
“I wish her the best of luck in her career, but yeah, technically she’s a rival and our head coach once said everyone’s a rival.”